Processing of electric terminals



Feb. 6, 1968 H. J. BUSH 3,367,167

PROCESSING OF ELECTRIC TERMINALS Filed Sept. 27, 1965 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR H. J. BUSH ATTORNEY Feb. 6, 1968 H. J. BUSH 3,367,167

PROCESSING OF ELECTRIC TERMINALS Filed Sept. 2'7, 1965 4 Sheets-Sheet. 2

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PROCESSING OF ELECTRIC TERMINALS Filed Sept. 27, 1965 4 heet s 3 INVE/Vr A T TORNEy Feb. 6, 1968 H. J. BUSH PROCESSING OF ELECTRIC TERMINALS ATTORNEY w 4 4 m m w a w mw. .7

WM w G 1 -w WJ. m y I 4 /H. w 4. F /x/ 0 a fl 4 w, O h Q 0 7 5 w 6 1 W O G H mm 0 8 5 I V. I n m P V WHZW 7 n. I II .I. 2 w. F t. Q n mm 7 4 u n .w .J \L 5: u 9 m 6 F 4 j United States Patent Oflflce 3,367,167 Patented Feb. 6, 1968 3 367 167 PROCESSING or ELnc'rRrc TERMINALS Harold J. Bush, Matawan, N.J., assignor to The Thomas 8: Betts Co., Inc, Elizabeth, N.J., a corporation of New Jersey Filed Sept. 27, 1965, Ser. No. 490,591 17 Claims. (Cl. 72-412) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A trigger actuated tool for processing electric terminals, said tool having dies between which the terminals on a belt are serially ted by an advance mechanism and compressed by closing one die against the other, compressing the intermediately disposed terminal, wire or other object, the belt being held against movement during the compression step by a pawl engaging the belt, and, at the end of the operation stroke, positioning the nextin-line terminal intermediate the dies for repetition of the operation at the next actuation of the trigger, the belt and terminal being advance-d only on completion of operation of the dies for compression of the terminalthus providing a unique safety factor.

This invention relates to the processing of electric terminal assemblies, and to novel means for serially advancing such terminals into registration with a member to perform an assembly operation thereon.

Pursuant to the invention, novel assembly advance means are provided such as to advance the assembly only upon the hull completion of a pressure or other operation.

This invention is adapted for, but not limited to, the processing of electric terminals, for example, for compression thereof onto conductors.

Pursuant to this invention, each terminal of the assembly is advanced to a processing station and is then held at that station until completion of the predetermined processing operation, and is only then advanced for removal or discharge; the next terminal is then advanced to said station to repeat the operation.

The invention thus automatically prevents the discharge of a terminal from the processing station until completion of the scheduled operation at that station.

The drawings, illustrating procedure and devices useful in carrying out the invention, and the description below, are exemplary only of the invention, which shall be deemed to cover all other devices and procedures coming within the scope and purview of the appended claims.

In the drawings, wherein similar reference characters indicate like parts:

FIG. 1 is a partly fragmentary perspective view of a device embodying the invention,

FIG. 2 is a partly fragmentary schematic vertical sectional view of numbered parts thereof,

FIG. 3 is a partly fragmentary side elevational view thereof, taken at line 33 of FIG. 1,

FIG. 4 is a similar view thereof, taken at line 44 of FIG. 6,

FIG. 5 is a partly fragmentary medial elevational sectional view thereof,

FIG. 6 is a fragmentary elevational view of the upper portion of the device,

FIG. 7 is a fragmentary, top plan View thereof, taken at line 7-7 of FIG. -6, and

FIG. 8 is a fragmentary, horizontal sectional view thereof, taken at line 88 of FIG. 3.

As shown in the drawings, the device 16 of the invention (FIGS. 5 and 3) comprises a pressure responsive member 11 movably mounted in the upper end portion of the casing 12, for movement in a plane 13 (FIG. 3).

Guide means, such as a guide plate 14 (FIG. 1) are provided for guiding the assembly 15 (FIG. 2) comprising (FIGS. 7, 2) belt 41) and electric terminals 16 thereon or therein for movement in a plane across the said plane 13 of movement of pressure responsive member 11. The pressure responsive member 11 is connected with a suitable pressure source, as schematically indicated at 17 (FIG. 5). A valve, such as shown at 18 (FIGS. 3 and 5) controlled by a hand operated trigger or the like, 19, may be provided for control of, for example, flow of air, liquid or fluid pressure from pressure source 17, through port 20 (FIG. 5) and thence into the casing 12, as into chamber 21.

Pursuant to the invention, means are provided for assembly of the electric terminal assembly. A belt advance plate 22 is pivotally mounted, as at 23, on casing 12, at a point preferably oifset from the center line of reciprocating pressure responsive member 11. Plate 22 has a bearing 24 spaced from pivot point 23, for engagement by piston 25 reciprocably disposed in cylinder 26. Plate 22 is normally urged, as by spring 27, in a direction (counterclockwise in the arrangement shown in FIG. 5), to advance the electrical terminal assembly to register a terminal (16a, FIG. 5) at the operating station of the device. The piston 25 is operated by fluid admitted to the interior of cylinder 26 through tube 28 connected at its opposite end 29 (FIG. 3) with the interior of casing 12. The volume of chamber 21 (FIG. 5) and the interior of the casing 12 is substantially greater than that of the cylinder 26; fluid will bleed off casing 12 and into tube 28 to actuate piston 25 (to move the plate 22 clockwise in the position of pa nts in FIG. 5) only after the pressure member 11 has been fully advanced in cylinder 12 as below more particularly described, providing an import-ant safety factor.

The device of this invention, as above noted, may be used for compression of terminals 16 on Wire ends or other conductors inserted into or fed to said terminals at the station point indicated by the position of terminal 16:: (FIG. 5) for compression between a lower die 36 (FIG. 3) on die holder 30, which in turn may be secured to pressure responsive member 11 in any desired or convenient manner, and an upper die 31 secured to the head 32 of the device 10. The dies 31 and 36 may be removably secured to the head 32 and member 11 in any desirable or convenient manner, as for example, by pins 33, 34. The lower die 36 may be urged by spring or other means (FIG. 3) for removal upwardly on withdrawing the pin 33.

The tube 28 may (FIG. 3) be conveniently formed of several sections clamped or otherwise secured together, with suitable fixtures for securing them to the casing if desired.

Belt assembly 15 (FIG. 2) may include a continuous belt 49 (FIG. 5) of plastic or other flexible material which may be readily bent and which may be incorporated in a cartridge secured to the casing 12; thus the belt may assume a zigzag, (FIG. 5) spiral or relatively linear or any other form desired for the purpose and positioned on the guide plate 14 for processing the terminals pursuant to the invention. Belt 40 is preferably provided with a plurality of slots or apertures 41 along a marginal edge thereof (FIGS. 2, 7). A pawl 42 (FIGS. 2 and 4) is pivotally secured as at 43 to the device and urged as by the spring 44 to position a nosing 45 of the pawl into an aperture 41 and thereby hold a terminal 16a (FIG. 5) in registered position in the device 10 for the processing operation. The pawl 42 is provided with an edge contour 46, such that the spring 44 will hold the pawl against counterclockwise movement (viewing the parts as at FIG. 2) while permitting clockwise rotation of the pawl. Thus the pawl will rotate clockwise to permit the belt assembly 15 to move to the left (viewing the parts as in FIGS. 2 and 5) to advance the belt sutiiciently to position a connector or terminal serially between the dies. The pawl lifts with such movement of the belt and then drops down into registry with the next aperture 41 for repetition of the procedure described herein. The belt advance plate 22 (preferably, as shown, a pivotally mounted quadrant) is provided with spaced nosings 47, 48 which (in the position of the parts shown in FIGS. 2 and 5) engage the belt responsive to the spring 27 to move the plate to the left to advance terminal 16a to the operations completion station intermediate the dies.

When the operator moves the trigger 19 actuating the valve 18, fluid pressure enters the chamber 21 of the casing 12 and actuates piston 11, elevating lower die 36, pressing terminal 16a against upper die 31 (and thus compressing the conductor, which will have been inserted into said terminal 16a just previously), within the terminal 16a, by the operator manually or by suitable automatic means. On the completion of said compression stroke of member 11, fluid will bleed off the main casing 12 and through the tube 28 sufficiently to pass into cylinder 26 and actuate piston 25 in said cylinder, thus moving belt advance plate 22 clockwise (viewing the parts as in FIGS. 2 and 5) against the tension of spring 27. Such movement of the belt advance plate 22 will not move the belt 40, the latter being held against such movement by the pawl 42; the plate 22 lifts the portion of belt 40 in the area of the plate while the plate thus moves clockwise so that on release of trigger 19 the belt advance plate 22 will advance to the left due to the spring tension 27 built up on the (power stroke) clockwise movement of plate 22.

Piston 25 retracts upon the release of the trigger 19 and the (spring 27 urged) plate 22 advances the next electric terminal to the operating position and moves the (just compressed) terminal out of the device 10.

From the foregoing, it will be apparent that if, for any reason, the complete compression stroke of pressure responsive member 11 is not achieved, then the piston 25 will not have been powered and will not move the plate 22 clockwise (and the electric terminal 16a positioned between the dies thus not completely compressed, would remain in position between the dies until complete and full compression is achieved, as on subsequent operation of the trigger 19).

A cover plate member 49 (FIGS. 1 and 5) may be connected as at 50 with the head 32 of the casing 12 and may be spring actuated in an arrangement such as to enable said plate to be moved selectively into a position at right angles to the plane of the plate 14 (FIG. 1) or thereupon (FIG. 5) to cooperate with the plate 14 in holding belt in position.

The pressure responsive member 11 may (FIG. 5) comprise a piston 51 actuated through fluid entering chamber 21 of casing 12 to, in turn, act against hydraulic fluid in a recess 52 in a piston to which die 36 is secured so as to act on such hydraulic fluid for achieving a compounding air-fluid action. Other pressure means may be substituted within the spirit and scope of the invention. The tool may be hand held and operated or secured to a suitable support.

While the foregoing disclosure of exemplary embodiments is made in accordance with the Patent Statutes, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited thereto or thereby, the inventive scope being defined in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In a device for processing an assembly of electrical terminals by means of fluid pressure applying means operative in a given plane, means for advancing said assembly across said given plane to dispose said terminals in position for such processing, means for operating said pressure applying means and said assembly advancing means in alternate timed relation to each other, the assembly advancing means comprising a movably mounted plate and a stress means operative on the plate to move it in assembly advancing direction, a chamber on the device and a piston therein, said piston engaging said plate to retract the plate and operate against the stress means and the chamber being in fluid communication with the fluid pressure applying means.

2. In a device as set forth in claim 1, means for controlling the action of said piston so that it will not retract the plate in opposition to the stress means until completion of operation of the pressure means, the controlling means then releasing said plate to the action of the stress means for advance of the assembly.

3. In a device as set forth in claim 1, pawl means engaging said assembly and holding it against movement during retraction of the plate.

4. In a device as set forth in claim 1, said assembly including a flexible belt to which said terminals are attached, said belt having a marginal edge and apertures in said belt spaced from said marginal edge, said assembly advancing means having fingers extending therefrom engageable with said apertures to move the belt on actuation of said advancing means.

5. In a device as set forth in claim 4, a pawl pivotally mounted on said device engaging the belt apertures to lock the belt against movement in a retrograde direction.

6. In a device as set forth in claim 1 wherein said pressure means has a center line of movement and the plate is pivoted on an axis offset from the line of movement.

7. In a device for processing an assembly of electrical terminals through pressure means in a given plane, said means including a first piston reciprocably mounted in a casing operative for controlling the advancement of said assembly across said given plane to dispose said terminals in position for processing them, said pressure means including a cylinder, a second piston movably mounted in said cylinder, a valve controlling fluid flow in the cylinder, said casing for said first piston being of substantially smaller capacity than said cylinder, and a tube connecting the cylinder and easing, whereby the first piston will be actuated only on full actuation of the second piston.

8. In a device as set forth in claim 1, guide means for guiding the assembly across said given plane and a cover member movably mounted on said device for complementary guiding coacting abutment with the guide means.

9. In a device as set forth in claim 8, spring means engaging the cover member to so hold the latter in abutment with said guide means.

10. In a device as set forth in claim 1, said pressure applying means being an air actuated piston and a hydraulic piston actuated responsive thereto.

11. In a device as set forth in claim 10, said hydraulic piston being actuated by a volume of hydraulic fluid substantially smaller than the volume of air actuating said piston.

12. In a device for processing an assembly of electric terminals, said assembly including a belt member having spaced apertures therein to receive and position said terminals along said belt member, means operative for advancing said assembly across a given plane, a first plate movably mounted in said device and having a finger engageable with one of said apertures of said belt member, means for intermittently advancing said assembly including means for moving said plate in one direction, to thereby move the belt and thus disposed a terminal in position for so processing it, a second plate movably mounted in said device and having a nosing engaging one of said apertures in said belt, and movable out of said aperture on movement of the belt on so advancing said assembly and resisting movement of the belt in an opposite direction.

13. in a device as set forth in claim 12, means cngaging said second plate and holding it in said belt aperture for so resisting movement of the belt in an opposite direction and yielding to enable the belt to so move in said given direction.

14. In a device as set forth in claim 12, a bearing on said first plate and means engaging the bearing for moving the first plate in an opposite direction, to prepare the plate for again moving the assembly.

15. In a device as set forth in claim 12, said first plate having a second finger engaging a further aperture of the plate.

16. In a device for pressure processing electrical terminals spacedly carried by a belt comprising pressure applying mechanism for the terminals and means for intermittently advancing the belt, said pressure applying means including a cylinder and a first piston therein connected to a part of said pressure applying mechanism, said means for intermittently advancing the belt comprising an oscillatable plate with belt engaging means thereon to effect advance of the belt on advance oscillation of the plate, biasing means biasing the plate to a final advanced position of the plate whereby when the biasing means is free to act, the belt will be advanced, a casing on the device, a second piston in said casing, engaging the plate to urge the plate to retracted position when fluid pressure is admitted to said casing with pressure sufiicient to overcome the biasing means, the belt engaging formation on the plate being such that the formation will not drivingly engage the belt on retraction of the plate, and a tube connecting the cylinder and easing whereupon only after full movement of the first piston and build up of pressure in the cylinder will the second piston be moved to retract the oscillatable plate and put it in position to further advance the belt on release of the pressure applying mechanism.

17. In a device as set forth in claim 16, a pawl for arresting retrograde movement of the belt mounted on the device and engaging the belt.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,570,724 10/1951 Schaible 226- 2,727,236 12/1955 Klumpp 72412 3,002,547 10/1961 Cootes 226-460 3,214,957 11/1965 Leonard 72412 3,245,246 4/1966 Filson 72412 CHARLES W. LANHAM, Primary Examiner.

L. A. LARSON, Assistant Examiner. 

